Thursday, May 29, 2008

So what is the best was to get rid of ants in your kitchen or other areas of your home? First thing you want to do is look at why you could possibly be attracting the ants inside. Do you have children who like to drip grape juice on the floor or do you drop cake crumbs from lunch on the floor? If this is the case then you have to use some IPM or Integrated Pest Management and keep your area clean to make your kitchen unattractive to the ants.Now you want to purchase some granule ant bait, a good perimeter spray, and some ant trap bait stations. Some of the products that work well are featured in an earlier article of mine rightfully called, Kill Ants, where you can get some ideas.Outside is a good place to start your investigation. Do you see any ant trails? Are they entering your home from a crack? If so then you will want to take a good sprinkle of your ant granules a spread where the ants are trailing. Also a good ant gel is a good choice to place around the ant trail. I feel baiting is a better long term solution. Don't expect the ants to go away over night, but your should start to see results. Inside you should also use the same technique. If you see ants then place out baits. As always use caution around kids and animals.Some people like a more direct approach with a ban out and up the perimeter of the home. If you choose the spray route, then be sure to use a good non-repellent like Phantom or Termidor. Being a good detective and having an eagle eye will improve your results. Good luck!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

These days there is a real push for things to be green. Part of this movement involves organic or green pest control. When you think about it, the pest control industry has been ahead of it's time when considering organic pest control with the early introduction of IPM or integrated pest management. IPM incorporates many control measures to keep bugs at bay, many times not involving chemicals at all. Sealing up cracks and crevices and placing out glue traps for instance is a good control technique that does not involve the use of pesticides.IF you are looking for a good organic pest control product all you have to do it Google this topic and you get a ton of hits. Anything from parasitic wasps to fly parasites. It is truly an interesting topic and it's big time business. Entire horse farms can incorporate the use of fly parasites to keep control of the major fly problem the horse manure brings. Companies like ARBICO have been providing this service for years and I think it is definitely a topic to think about at your next morning meeting because it is definitely the way the world is moving and if you are not willing to change then you and your company can be left behind.

The big bees that dive bomb you in the spring time are called Carpenter Bees. They actually drill a perfect circle hole in the wood members of your home and they become bothersome when the males, who hover around that hole, fly at you to intimidate. The male bees are not capable of stinging, and the female bee, who is more worried about tending to the egg in the hole, can sting you, but it is unlikely unless you grab one in your hand and squeeze.Treating for these bees can be expensive and sometimes time consuming. It is recommend to hire a pest control professional as they are better equipped to treat the areas the bees are damaging. The exterminator will use a power spray machine most likely in the event the bees are up high or there are many of them. Another method would be to dust as many holes that you can find with a good insecticide dust. The problem with this is that the bees sometimes find their way under the flashing or up under wood pieces where you can't get to. One last method is to paint the wood areas with a thick latex type paint. This is not really one hundred percent tested and not always practical. If you go the route of treating each hole, be sure to go back a few days later to seal the holes with a good wood putty.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Know your enemy! Knowledge is power. These are just a few of the catch phrases that I think are important in the control of bed bugs. Coming up in the next few months will be a seminar for pest control professionals about bed bugs and their control. It will include a segment about litigation which is also important these days, especially if you have a pest control company. The seminars will be presented by two very prominent people in the pest control industry, Rick Cooper and Dr. Michael Potter. I have included a link to get more info.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

When I was little my friend and I used to sit on the steps and crush the little orange bugs that used to crawl around. They would leave little orange streaks and we called them brick bugs. When I grew up and entered the pest control industry I would tackle these clover mites on a wider range. They can over run an area, entering buildings and homes and becoming real pests. Professionals would recommend what they call a power spray. If you want to get tricky, you can leave a 2 foot bare track around your home, or you could simply go to your local hardware store, buy a good outdoor spray, and put a good perimeter barrier around your home. Good luck.